Tackling terror in Africa: what local roles for insurgency groups?
This Africa Policy Brief is based on the recently published book “Time for a new approach on terror in Africa?”
Europe in the World
In a world that is largely driven by competition and rivalry (and partnership, yet) between great powers, understanding the Grand Strategy of each of these powers is crucial. So is developing a Grand Strategy for the EU itself. An EU that acts as one, as one pole of the multipolar world on a par with the other powers, is the only way to safeguard the way of life that the Member States of the EU have chosen, based on democracy, the free market, and equality.
Power cannot be divided: a global player must have political, economic, as well as military power. To that end, the Europe in the World Programme analyses the diplomacy and defence of the US, China, and Russia, and of the EU, NATO, and their members. We also focus on geoeconomics, researching Open Strategic Autonomy and the Global Gateway as key EU instruments, as well as the geoeconomic approaches of the other powers.
Defence policy is our third main axis of research, with a particular focus on European defence and its interaction with NATO, but also on nuclear deterrence and the deterrence of hybrid threats. Throughout all three research axis, we devote special attention to the role of Belgium, including notably the development of its own National Security Strategy and diplomatic and military capabilities.
Publications
The EU-Brazil partnership on development: a lukewarm affair
The EU-Brazil strategic partnership on international development had delivered little. Limited commitment and operational constraints have so far undermined high-level pledges to undertake trilateral cooperation. Brazil and the EU often
China’s strategic partnership diplomacy: engaging with a changing world
China has been actively engaged in developing strategic partnerships with third countries, particularly since the early 2000s. These partnerships have proven a prominent instrument in China’s
Commentaries
Iraq: Europe’s problem too
In this article, Sven Biscop places the present crisis in Iraq in its regional context and argues that while Iraq was not initially Europe’s war the continent has a stake […]
Game of zones. The quest for influence in Europe’s neighbourhood
Russia’s annexation of the Crimea and subsequent meddling in Ukraine does not constitute a game-changer. It is just a reminder that at least since the war with Georgia in 2008 […]
The rise of cyber-diplomacy: the EU, its strategic partners and cyber-security
Cyber-security and cyber-governance are increasingly shaping the international agenda, not least in the aftermath of the Snowden revelations and various cases of cyber-attacks from China and Russia.